Especially men.
And Gray had no intention of being played. Certainly not by a troublesome ditz who dressed like a hooker in her spare time and went out of her way to stand out like a sore thumb in an otherwise impeccably mannered family.
He needed to put distance between them. Immediately.
But the woman standing at his doorway was not the too-sexy blonde he’d been waiting for.
It was Ms. Jennings, the company’s HR manager. He stifled a groan. Not that there was anything wrong with her. It was just employees in general. Not exactly his strong suit.
Ms. Jennings…Beth, if he remembered correctly…was not a particularly attractive woman. She didn’t try to be. He liked that about her. It kept everything simpler. Her ink-black hair was too dark against pale skin, and the choppy, chin-length cut did nothing to soften her broad features.
Like most men, Gray knew little about women’s fashion, but it was obvious that her army-green slacks and boxy blue blazer would never be featured in any fashion magazine.
But all interactions with Ms. Jennings so far had pointed to efficiency. And that was all he cared about.
Gray realized he’d been staring at her, and as a result her welcoming smile had faded slightly as she shuffled her feet nervously.
“Ms. Jennings, come in,” he said, realizing that they’d been working together for a few days now and he’d barely spoken to her. He racked his brain for idle chatter. The book he’d bought on being a relatable manager had said something about expressing interest in employees themselves, as well as in their work.
Which really was just another way of promoting small talk. His Achilles’ heel.
Gray desperately grasped for a topic that would say I’m interested rather than I’m prying.
Are you married? Any children?
No way. Too personal.
Any cats?
Too stereotyping.
Can you recommend a dentist?
Ugh. Then she’d think he’d been studying her teeth.
“How was traffic?” he asked finally. He immediately winced. Was this the best he could do? There were probably species of ferns that would make better company than him.
“Traffic was fine, thanks,” she said, her brow furrowing.
“For me too,” he said with a curt nod. Jesus, Gray.
Ms. Jennings’ face relaxed slightly at his awkward response. Clearly she’d realized he wasn’t intimidating so much as pathetic. He wasn’t sure which was worse.
“I made a fresh pot of coffee,” she said, approaching his desk and extending a cup toward him. “I took a guess. Black?”
He preferred a splash of cream, actually. And he’d already gotten his coffee. But he surreptitiously passed his old cup aside and accepted the company mug with a curt thank-you.
“Ms. Jennings, do you happen to know anything about the…” Gray broke off and gestured at the walls surrounding his desk.
“Ah yes,” she said with a resigned sigh. “The trophies.”
“Is that what you call them?”
“It’s what Martin called them. I call them atrocities.”
Gray was inclined to agree with Ms. Jennings’ assessment. His successor had failed to mention that he’d be leaving his wall decorations behind. The CEO office of Brayburn Luxuries looked like a menagerie. No matter which direction he looked, Gray found himself staring at an elk, a moose, a bear, and some animal he didn’t even recognize.
Between the hunting trophies, the rocking chair–style desk chair, and the fact that he was pretty certain there were occasional safari noises coming from somewhere, Gray’s nerves were starting to fray.
The first day on a new job was stressful enough without having to work in the middle of a zoo in an unfamiliar city.
With an assistant he’d accused of being a damn streetwalker.
As if reading his thoughts, Ms. Jennings brightened. “Perhaps your new assistant can take care removing Martin’s decor and finding something more your style. She starts today, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well I’m just glad you were able to find someone else so quickly! It’s a shame about Laura not working out—we all liked her when she came in for interviews.”
Gray might not be great with people, but he didn’t miss the slight censure in the HR manager’s tone. She hadn’t been happy about having to do rush paperwork for an employee she’d never even met. Apparently Martin Brayburn had been a fan of “group hiring” to make sure everyone had good rapport.
Gray wasn’t even sure he knew what “good rapport” meant.
“I appreciate you helping establish Sophie into the system so quickly. I know it’s not common procedure.”
He tried for a grateful smile and was relieved when she softened slightly. “No problem. I’m sure she’s wonderful if you hired her on the fly.”
Wonderful?
Sophie was definitely not wonderful. She was more like…